The Boston Celtics (26-10) and Denver Nuggets (20-14) will square off in the NBA tonight. Tipoff is set for 10 p.m. ET at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado. The game will broadcast live on TNT.
The Celtics are 8-point road favorites over the Nuggets on the spread (Celtics -8), with the over/under set at 234.5 total points. Boston is a -325 favorite to win outright, while Denver is +260 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Celtics vs. Nuggets predictions and NBA picks for Tuesday night.
Celtics vs. Nuggets Prediction, Picks
Spread
Although I'm passing on the spread for my best bet, I wouldn't be against a play on Denver at +6 or better. The Nuggets have been much better lately, and my power ratings have them closer to being 2.5-point underdogs.
Moneyline
Given the value of the point spread, I also wouldn't rule out a Nuggets' outright win. My projections suggest we should get Denver at close to a +125 underdog, but we're getting as high as +260 in the current market.
Over/Under
My best bet for tonight's contest is on the Under at 234.5, which is available at ESPN Bet. After considering all available options, I project a total closer to 232.5, giving us a significant edge at the current number.
My Pick: Under 234.5 (-110)
Celtics vs. Nuggets Odds, Spread, Over/Under
| Celtics Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-8 -110 | 234.5 -110 / -110 | -325 |
| Nuggets Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+8 -110 | 234.5 -110 / -110 | +260 |
- Celtics vs. Nuggets spread: Celtics -8
- Celtics vs. Nuggets over/under: 234.5 total points
- Celtics vs. Nuggets moneyline: Celtics -325, Nuggets +260
- Celtics vs. Nuggets best bet: Under 234.5 (-110)
My Nuggets vs. Celtics best bet is on the Under at 234.5 total points, with the best line currently available at bet365. But as always, make sure to shop for the best line using our live NBA odds page.
Boston Celtics vs. Denver Nuggets Preview
There were plenty of raised eyebrows when the Nuggets courted Russell Westbrook during the offseason. Denver's Nikola Jokic even went to the front office to request that they pursue the nine-time All-Star.
During the Nuggets media day last September, Jokic said all the right things about Westbrook, describing him off the court as a great teammate and a hard worker with intangible leadership qualities.
And while those comments could certainly be accurate, they didn't exactly highlight why he saw Westbrook as a player who could fit in almost seamlessly with Denver. It was almost as if the Nuggets center wanted to keep his reasons private and just let the basketball play unfold on the court.
But now that we're almost halfway through the season, it's more likely that Jokic had a clear idea of how things would pan out.
With Jokic often commanding double teams, Westbrook has become a key off-ball cutter, posting a career-best 8.2% on possessions, according to Stephen Noh of Sporting News.
Westbrook is also excellent in transition, as he uses his speed to push the Nuggets up and down the court to create easier scoring opportunities. This season, the Nuggets lead the league in fastbreak points (20.0) after ranking 17th in the previous campaign with 14.3 per game.
However, the Celtics are more than capable of slowing down the Nuggets transition offense, considering they rank seventh in opponent fast break points. Boston also plays at the eighth-slowest pace (98.2 possessions per game), which could be key in keeping this game under the total.
And although Boston generates the highest amount of its points from beyond the arc, the Nuggets have the 10th-best perimeter defense, with opponents shooting 35.5%.
It's also worth noting that the Celtics are coming off a 105-92 loss to the Thunder in a game where they made just 9-of-46 3-point attempts (19.6%).
Thus, the Nuggets coaching staff will almost certainly use the film footage as an example of how to slow down this Celtics offense.
Celtics vs. Nuggets Best Bets, Predictions
After making my case for the Under as my best bet, I will trust the numbers and back the Nuggets on the spread as part of my same game parlay.
Denver is particularly live in this game because it's such an efficient shooting team, with Jokic as the anchor of its offense. The Nuggets rank second in field goal percentage (49.8%), meaning they score on roughly one out of every two trips down the court.
If the Nuggets can somewhat keep Boston at bay from the perimeter, they'll have a great chance to keep the game close down the stretch and perhaps steal a victory.
I also expect Jokic to continue his stellar play by filling out the stat sheet.
The Celtics don't have the size to guard Jokic one-on-one, so they'll likely send some double-teams in his direction. Jokic is an unselfish player who will be more than willing to give up the rock as his teammates attack the vacated spaces on the floor.
The Nuggets center has recorded at least eight assists in five of the last six games and three previous meetings against the Celtics.
A three-leg parlay on the Nuggets at +6, combined with the under at 236.5 and Jokic to record 8+ assists gives us a nice boost on our parlay odds to +345.
Best Bet: Under 234.5
Celtics vs. Nuggets Parlay Picks
- Nuggets +6
- Nikola Jokic 8+ Assists
- Under 234.5
Parlay Payout: +345
Celtics vs. Nuggets Betting Trends
